12/05/2020

My Kind Of Christmas by Robyn Carr

A winterly themed novel I read for the 2020 HoHoHo Readathon. A wonderful story about love, Christmas, family, and the willpower of women. Usually, I don´t like it when I start a series in the middle. But sometimes a book out of a series can be read as a standalone also, and that here the case. Sure, there are some hints to the other volumes, and I am sure that one day I will be able to read them too. But for now, this one was what I call good entertainment. 

My Kind Of Christmas*

by Robyn Carr
Virgin River Series #18
Publisher Mira TB on October 25, 2016
Genre Novel
Pages 285
Format Paperback
Source Purchased
Goodreads
✶✶✶✶

While the Riordan brothers have a reputation for being rough-and-tumble, Patrick has always been the gentle, sweet-natured one. But his easygoing manner is tested by his high-octane career as a navy pilot, and for the Riordan men, when the going gets tough…the tough find the love of a good woman. Angie LeCroix wants to spend Christmas in Virgin River relaxing, away from her well-intentioned but hovering mother. Yet instead of freedom, she gets her uncle, Jack Sheridan. If he had his way, she'd never go out at all. And certainly not with Patrick Riordan. But Angie has her own idea of the kind of Christmas she wants—and the kind of man. Patrick and Angie thought they wanted to be left alone this Christmas—until they met each other. Now they want to be left alone together. But the Sheridan and Riordan families have different plans for Patrick and Angie—and for Christmas, Virgin River style!

Story

Angie has a very hovering mother. A mother who would love to control every second of her daughter’s life. But Angie has other plans with it. After a terrible car accident and the knowledge that she will have a medical device forever in her head, she knows that she can´t keep going on with her old life. And she wants to be independent. Doing things, she never could because she had to learn. Yes, Angie wants to enjoy life to the fullest and so she goes and visits her uncle to get a new perspective. A step her mother deeply displeases.

Style

I love the simple but touching and very entertaining way in which the author has written this novel. Good, it is a book in a long series, and I have not even read the volumes before this one, but I enjoyed it. The way how Angie deals with her mother – by totally ignoring her after a few phone calls – she enjoys her time in Virgin River and starts to do all the things she never could. And according to all the other women in this novel, it looks like a statement by the author that the men are all a few years older than the women they fell in love with. 

Angie is the main figure you want as a best friend in your life. The moment she lays an eye on Patrick he is lost and the way how she gets her will is filled with wit, hilarious scenes, and dialogues that made me laugh out loud. What a fantastic figure.

Characters

Angie is a woman I like very much. Not a beauty by definition, but a beautiful woman every man turns his head the moment she walks by. The fun thing here, Angie doesn´t see herself as a beauty. She has some scars; visible and not visible ones and she knows what she wants. The moment she lays an eye on Patrick he is lost and the way how she gets her will is filled with wit, hilarious scenes, and dialogues that made me laugh out loud. 

Conclusion

A wonderful to read a novel set in a great landscape. The gentle style the author uses to write about some bad things is put into a wonderful language. If you want a winter setting and some great characters, go and read this novel. 

Happy reading

*I read the German edition "Weihnachtsmärchen In Virgin River" released by Mira TB on November 10, 2015. 

Robyn Carr

Robyn Carr is a RITA® Award-winning and #1 New York Times bestselling author of more than forty novels. Her work includes the critically acclaimed Virgin River series. Her novels touch on whether she writes them in the historical genre, romance novels, or thrillers. Robyn remembers very well how she started her career as a writer 25 years ago. She was a trained nurse but was not able to take a steady job because her husband had to move professionally again and again. At that time, she read a lot – mainly from the genre of fantasy. During that time, she thought, “I can do that myself!” Her start into the new profession was difficult. She herself thought she had written a new novel with the class “Gone with the Wind”, but she was totally mistaken. It was a big failure. Only her third attempt was successful. Meanwhile, her two children are out of the house and she enjoys the great luxury of leisure. She has led a senior citizen group writing memoirs, is running a book club chat inside and outside the state, and works in the local library. Robyn and her husband live in Las Vegas, Nevada. 

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2/07/2019

Wenn Das Glück Erwacht by Robyn Carr

We don´t need to start a discussion about the look of the German edition. No doubt, the cover of the English edition, is way better. It is its content, that counts. Though this one is a bit shallow despite its often very serious tone and story. Robyn Carr shows the side of life, that isn´t as happy and easy, as one would wish for. And that money isn´t everything though it makes things a lot easier. At least for some of us.

Wenn Das Glück Erwacht*

by Robyn Carr
Translation Gisela Schmitt
Original Title The Life She Wants
Publisher Mira TB on January 4, 2019
Genre Novel
Pages 402
Format Paperback
Source Publisher

Goodreads

✶✶✶½

Emma´s life is in shards: Before her husband is arrested, he commits suicide. Although Emma has nothing to do with his criminal business, she is shunned by all. She hopes to find a safe haven in her old home. But here too, not only beautiful memories are waiting for her. In particular, before a meeting with her former best friend Riley, she is afraid. All the more surprised is Emma that Riley´s brother Adam receives her with open arms – and is always on hand when she needs a strong shoulder to lean on … (a personal translation of the German edition´s backtext by ©Vi at Inkvotary).

Story

Emma wants to start a new life. After her rich husband committed suicide, all she wants is to get back to normal. Easier said than done. Many people believe that she´s got some money elsewhere and that every word, that´s written in books and magazines about her late husband is true. They aren´t. But tell that someone, who´s lost all his money to her fraudulent husband. So Emma goes back to her hometown, trying to build a new life, and maybe find the love she always was hoping for.

Style

Somehow, I couldn´t get rid of the feeling, that this novel wasn´t new to me. Although it was. But it felt very familiar to me. I couldn´t tell what would happen next in the story and yet it was a bit foreseeable. The writing style is, despite a bit heavy plot, light and easy to read. The main figure is a beauty, who wants more from life. After her father´s early death, she is left with a mean stepmother who is incapable of loving her. And the drama begins. Robyn Carr usually writes with a sensitive touch and gives you a great insight into her figures, the setting, and the story. Not this time. Sure, the figures have all their burden to deal with and for some, control over everything is absolutely important. But there was nothing I would call profound. 

Characters

No doubt, Robyn Carr can create wonderful figures. And she, for sure, knows how to bring them together. But I missed some profoundness. The one I expect, when a summary tells me that in the story would be great drama and some tragic moments. 

Emma is strong. And she is smart. She loves Richard and after some time she starts to feel that something is utterly wrong. But she refuses to take a closer look and instead, she does everything to be happy and the woman, Richard wants and needs. So, when tragedy happens and she´s in need of some answers, she does everything to help. Her struggle, to get back on her feet and to show the world that she´s got nothing to hide, is brought to the reader´s eye in a nice to read a story.

The author shows how different Emma and Riley are with some wonderful scenes. While Emma is the soft blonde beauty who apparently gets everything without any problems, Riley is the woman who has to work very hard to keep everything under control. A control that is vital and lets her have the feeling that she can deal with everything. 

Conclusion

To be honest, I wouldn´t have read it for the cover alone. I like the one, the English edition is showing, way more. It was nice to read, yes, but nothing out of the ordinary. The author can do much better. And though, the novel wasn´t really foreseeable though it felt like it, it isn´t a page-turner either. Guess, you can say, solid novel. Nothing more, nothing less. Hopefully, the next book by Robyn Carr will be better.

Happy reading

*This book was kindly provided to me by Mira TB in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. Thank you. Therefore, the cover of the German edition is shown first in this review.

*Book was published The Life She Wants by Mira on September 27, 2016 

Robyn Carr

Robyn Carr is a RITA® Award-winning and #1 New York Times bestselling author of more than forty novels. Her work includes the critically acclaimed Virgin River series. Her novels touch on whether she writes them in the historical genre, romance novels or thrillers. Robyn remembers very well how she started her career as a writer 25 years ago. She was a trained nurse but was not able to take a steady job because her husband had to move professionally again and again. At that time, she read a lot – mainly from the genre of fantasy. During that time, she thought, “I can do that myself!” Her start into the new profession was difficult. She herself thought she had written a new novel with the class “Gone with the Wind”, but she was totally mistaken. It was a big failure. Only her third attempt was successful. Meanwhile, her two children are out of the house and she enjoys the great luxury of leisure. She has led a senior citizen group writing memoirs, is running a book club chat inside and outside the state and works in the local library. Robyn and her husband live in Las Vegas, Nevada.

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10/04/2018

Für Gefühle Ist Es Nie Zu Spät by Robyn Carr

For the first time in my life, I read a Robyn Carr novel. And Never Too Late was a very good read. Romance, all kinds of family troubles, totally different characters, and a writing style that made me laugh and smile very often while reading. Sometimes you just enjoy a novel for the pleasure of reading. I had no expectations when I asked for this book. And the cover was no reason to want it. A bit too kitschy for my taste though I love flowers. s

Für Gefühle Ist Es Nie Zu Spät*

by Robyn Carr
Translation Gisela Schmitt
Original Title Never Too Late
Publisher Mira TB on September 03, 2018
Genre Novel
Pages 363
Format Paperback
Source Publisher

Goodreads

✶✶✶✶

Three sisters, love and life. Three sisters, three times relationship chaos. Clare can not save herself from men after her separation. For Maggie, after many years of marriage, the passion has fallen by the wayside, which she desperately wants to change. Finally, with baby Sarah, Mr. Right is still a long way off – and the right candidate to get her knees weak seems to have only eyes for Clare … But the sisters are determined to stand by each other. Because they are convinced: for the great luck, it is never too late! (personal translation by ©Vi Ebner at Inkvotary)

Story

Clare is done with her marriage when she finds her still husband in a very compromising situation. Only he thinks otherwise. And when destiny hits her hard and very cruel, Clare knows that she´s given the one in a lifetime chance to change something. She files for divorce gets back on her feet and starts all over. Only that life isn´t that easy to handle when you´ve come out of a life where you´ve only been a caring mother who put her own wishes and desires behind everything.

Style

The soft writing style with this incredible wonderful touch of humor made me sometimes laugh and very often smile while reading. There are so many hilarious dialogues, great scenes and the characters are so diverse that in the end, it all plays together very smoothly. The novel is a great combination of wonderfully created characters and things out of real-life that could happen to any of us. Combined with the life of a small American town and a typical American family, you get the picture of romance, problems, and trouble teenagers can cause. In the end, you are left with a smart woman who does her first steps as a single mother after a divorce and who learns that life has still some good things to offer.

Characters

Three sisters who could not be more different. They all come from the same man but are as different as day and night. One is a typical mother who puts the well-being and woe of her family above her own needs and desires. The other is a conservative and highly controlled lawyer who suffers from the fact that her sisters or her father have never asked her for legal advice. The third in the league is a creative soul, which now presents itself as a gray wallflower after a very revealing defiance phase and can not do anything with the life of her sisters. 

Conclusion

I enjoyed reading this novel very much. A very soulful novel that knows how to kidnap the reader into a world in which not everything is just sunshine. Provided with beautiful scenes, priceless dialogues, and an incredibly great sense of humor, this novel is very well suited for relaxed reading. At least I had my reading pleasure with it. 

Happy reading

*This book was kindly provided to me by Mira TB in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. Therefore, the cover of the German edition is shown first in this review.

The novel was published Never Too Late by Harlequin Mira on May 17, 2016. 

Robyn Carr

Robyn Carr is a RITA® Award-winning and #1 New York Times bestselling author of more than forty novels. Her work includes the critically acclaimed Virgin River series. Her novels touch on whether she writes them in the historical genre, romance novels or thrillers. Robyn remembers very well how she started her career as a writer 25 years ago. She was a trained nurse but was not able to take a steady job because her husband had to move professionally again and again. At that time, she read a lot – mainly from the genre of fantasy. During that time, she thought, “I can do that myself!” Her start into the new profession was difficult. She herself thought she had written a new novel with the class “Gone with the Wind”, but she was totally mistaken. It was a big failure. Only her third attempt was successful. Meanwhile, her two children are out of the house and she enjoys the great luxury of leisure. She has led a senior citizen group writing memoirs, is running a book club chat inside and outside the state and works in the local library. Robyn and her husband live in Las Vegas, Nevada. 

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